Follow Christopher Meloni

Christopher Meloni

Date Of Birth

Biography

Born on April 2, 1961 in Washington, D.C., Christopher Meloni is best known for his characters in the television dramas Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Oz. He first studied acting at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he eventually graduated with a history degree in 1983. He then went to New York to train under Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. In different points of his life, he worked as a construction worker, bartender and personal trainer while taking on bit roles in films and short-lived television programs. His first screen role was as Vito del Grecco in the short-lived HBO comedy 1st & Ten. His film debut was in 1994’s Clean Slate, where he played a bodyguard.

Meloni first gained attention in 1998 when he played the role of bisexual sociopath Chris Keller in the HBO prison drama Oz. The role required him to passionately touch and kiss other men, as well as full nudity. His portrayal and treatment of his character’s open sexuality earned him considerable press attention, as well as fans, especially from the gay community, which considered him a sex symbol. Impressed by his performance, Law & Order producer Dick Wolf signed him up for a role in the spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He played Elliot Stabler for 12 seasons and earned an Emmy nomination for Best Drama Actor in 2006.

Meloni also appeared in films such as Runaway Bride, Wet Hot American Summer, Carriers, and the Harold & Kumar film series. He has also guest-starred in television shows such as Scrubs, NYPD Blue, and the short-lived Law & Order spin-off Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Meloni was also part of People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive list in 2006. He continued his career by accepting roles on Gym Teacher: The Movie, Nights in Rodanthe, and John Krasinski’s adaptation of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.